


A New Start

by PattRose



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: AU, Angst, Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-09 23:29:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PattRose/pseuds/PattRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Blair have been a couple for three years, now they have a chance at shaking things up a little and starting a family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Start

A New Start  
By Patt

 

Summary: Jim and Blair have been a couple for three years, now they have a chance at shaking things up a little and starting a family. 

Warnings: Kid fic. AU Angst and sappy.  
Rating: Mature but not too mature.  
Word Count: 13,403  
Beta: Kerensa, Kelly and Merlin  
Genre: Slash, established couple.  
Notes: This is a slice of life story. There are no exciting cases or anything like that, just a look into the lives of both men revolving around their new family. 

 

Jim walked into the loft with a lot of things weighing on his mind that evening. He put his keys on the counter and hung his jacket up. It had been a really long day and he was looking forward to dinner with Blair and a nice long talk about something serious. 

Blair came out of the office. Now that he shared a room with Jim, it was perfect as the office. He smiled when he saw Jim and went right over to him and pulled him down for a very sweet kiss. 

“Wow, that was a good kiss, but one I know means there is something going on in your mind, Jim. What is it?”

“Could we have dinner first?” Jim asked.

“Sure, we’re having Chicken Enchiladas for dinner, how does that sound?” Blair asked as he pulled Jim down for another kiss. 

Once the kiss ended, Jim smiled and said, “It sounds great, but not near as great as your kisses are.”

“Compliments. I love them,” Blair joked. 

“I mean that, Blair.”

Blair sensed that Jim had something deep on his mind and decided not to tease any more. “I know you meant that, Jim. I love you, man.”

Jim pulled Blair into his arms and held him very tight. Blair just let him do his thing, especially since Blair loved what he was doing. It was hard to believe they had been a couple for three years already. Jim never seemed to tire of Blair or their sex life, so things were perfect. Nothing could make it any less perfect. Could it? 

Blair pulled away and said, “Let’s set the table. Dinner is ready.”

Jim helped Blair do just that and then they sat down to eat a wonderful meal. Jim decided that he would start out the conversation with some easy questions and work his way up to the big question. 

“How was teaching today?”

“I love teaching, Jim. You know that, but some days are better than others. I love being a professor and having such great students. I can’t believe that everything worked out as well as it did after the fiasco with Rainier, Sid Graham and Berkshire Publishing. Who would have ever thought that your dad would help us get a lawyer that got my job back, not to mention the lawsuit we filed against Berkshire for both of us. Everything is working out really well, so why are you asking me about teaching today?”

Jim looked perplexed for a moment. “First of all, I ask you how your day went almost every night. So don’t make it sound like I never ask. And yes, I do have something on my mind, but can we discuss it after dinner?.”

“It’s nothing bad, is it?” Blair almost whispered. 

“No… Nothing bad. Dinner is delicious, Blair.”

“Thank you.”

They cleared the table and talked about their days at work while they did dishes together. Once that was done, Blair grabbed two ice cold beers and said, “Okay, enough small talk. Let’s get this over and done with.”

Blair took the beers into the living room and opened them up. He sat them down on the coffee table and said, “Join me.”

Jim did just that. He took a long cool drink of the beer and looked at the love of his life and wondered if things would change tonight. Sighing, quietly, he got up from the sofa and started to pace. Blair just let him. Blair knew that Jim would open up to him when he was ready. 

“How do you feel about having a family?” Jim blurted out as quickly as he could. 

“You mean adopting? I think that would be all right. We both like kids. We’d make good dads I think. Is that what’s wrong? You want to be a dad?” Blair asked. 

Jim smiled, finally, and answered, “It’s not just that. I already have the family in mind. You don’t know them, but I met them today and I really want to become their dad. I think you could feel the same way if you met them too.”

“Where did you meet them?”

“While working on a murder case. The parents were killed, leaving the three daughters to be raised by the state. There is no other family. I met these girls and they are like little angels. I swear, Blair, angels.”

“Did you already ask someone about fostering them?” Blair wondered. 

“I talked to a person at Child Services. Her name is Maggie Stewart. I told her we might be interested and she said to come in tomorrow morning if we want to give it a try. I already told her about you and me. She knows we’re a gay couple and she said that might not matter. The children are old enough to give their opinions on what will happen to them. So, she wants us to move, get the paperwork filled out and then meet the girls.”

“Did you really like them this much? Enough to want to sell the loft and change our entire lifestyle?” Blair asked. 

Jim looked away, trying to hide his disappointment. “I didn’t think you would go crazy about the idea. We don’t have to change anything, Chief. It was just a pipe dream.”

“Hold on, Jim. I want to sell the loft and get a house. I want to fill out the paperwork and meet these girls. I want to be a father just as badly as you do. So, what’s up first?” 

Jim looked at the big smile on Blair’s face and knew he meant every word he had said. “We need to fill out the paperwork first, to register to become foster parents with the intent to adopt. We need to start house hunting so we’ll have a place for them to stay, then sell the loft. You’ll need to meet the girls and we need to find out how they feel about being adopted by us. Did you want to ask some questions about them?”

“Yeah! What are their names and ages?” Blair said happily. 

“Emily is ten, Sophie is eight and Abby is five. They are beautiful children, Blair. We couldn’t ask for anyone better than they are.”

“Okay, we’ll fill out the paperwork tomorrow and start looking for a house too. We’re both off tomorrow, so it’s perfect timing. I love their names, Jim. I bet they are darling.”

“You would bet right. They are the sweetest and cutest girls I’ve ever seen in my life,” Jim said glowing with happiness. 

“You might just be a little prejudiced, Jim. How many bedrooms do we want to find in a house?” Blair asked, getting with the program. 

“I’d like them to each have their own room, so four bedrooms and a den for the office. Or maybe five bedrooms, and one of the rooms can be an office,” Jim suggested. 

“Five bedrooms it is. Let me get my laptop and put some things in and see if we can see some houses to see tomorrow. I can’t wait. You know what, Jim? I never thought I would hear you say these words. I’m shocked and happy at the same time. I sort of wanted to adopt at one time, but you seemed pretty content with life as it was. I didn’t want to rock the boat.”

“Get your laptop and we’ll start looking.” As Blair started to get up, Jim put his arm on Blair’s, turning him so they were looking directly at each other. “You never have to be worried about rocking the boat with me, Blair. I love you and would do anything for you.”

Blair stood up and bent down to kiss his lover. “Same here.” Blair walked in and got his laptop and started back out to the living room. 

“Do you have any links to houses that have five bedrooms?” Jim asked. 

“Oh yeah, they’re all in your dad's neck of the woods, so they are big houses. I would prefer a one story so we have all of the girls on one floor. Do you agree with that?” Blair inquired. 

Jim smiled and kissed Blair again. “Yes, a one story would be perfect for us.”

Blair started typing and pulled up some houses for Jim to see. “See, these are the links that your dad sent to me ages ago. I never dreamed that we would actually be using the links. I’m so excited. Look at this house, it’s gorgeous.”

“It is and it’s large enough for all of us. Even if something went wrong, we would still be ready for the next time a child came along. Right?” Jim asked. 

“Oh yeah. But I refuse to think about what if. Instead let’s think about us going to do this, instead,” Blair said. 

“Works for me. Let’s put this house on the list. I love the pictures, it looks perfect for us. Are there any more like this one?” Jim wondered. 

“Sit back and get ready for a full evening,” Blair answered. He then pulled up all of the houses that he and Jim would like and they glanced through all of them and put in a call to the realtor. It was only 9:00, so Blair figured they were safe. The realtor’s name was Mark Murphy and was glad to show them houses the next day. They made an appointment to meet at Mark’s office the following morning at 11:30, giving Jim and Blair plenty of time to fill out the paper work at the state child protective service office before that. 

Once Blair was off the phone, Jim pulled him into his arms and asked, “Are you as excited about this as I am?”

“What honestly brought all of this on tonight, Jim?”

“When I was helping them get into the car, Sophie held my hand so tight and looked at me with such fear in her eyes, I was lost in those beautiful eyes. Here she was, filled with fear and yet she still reached out to me. I knew right then that they belonged with us. I knew that when I talked to Maggie.”

“There must be more, Jim. Why do you want a family now?” Blair asked

“I think it’s because when I was growing up with Steven, our dad pitted the two of us against each other and I never got to really take care of him like I wanted or needed to. I think I needed that more then anything in my life. I missed out on having someone to love and take care of all of my life. Then I met you and I knew things wouldn’t work out for a family. But I’d been feeling the urge to have a family lately but I was afraid to rock the boat, myself. We’ve become so used to this life. I didn’t think you would ever want to change it. It never occurred to me that you might want a family as much as I do. Every time Simon talks about Daryl, I’m pleased that he shares the news, but at the same time a little jealousy is going on there. That sounds terrible, doesn’t it?”

“No. It sounds right. I’ve been having feelings myself and when I met Daryl it made things even worse and I don’t mean in a bad way. I mean, I missed having someone in our life like Simon has. So we were both feeling it and afraid to say something to the other one,” Blair said. 

“So do you think we could do this?” Jim wondered. 

“Jim, let’s take this one step at a time, all right?”

“I know. I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I?” 

“I think we both are. Now, let’s go upstairs and remind each other what we mean to each other,” Blair suggested. 

Jim gladly followed his lover up the stairs, after locking all of the doors and shutting off the lights. .

!!!!!

The next day both men were up by 5:00 a.m. and showered. They talked while they ate breakfast. Both men had all the paperwork they could possibly need to apply for foster care.

“What time do you suppose they open?” Blair asked. 

Jim smiled at him. “Maggie told me that they are open at 8:00, so that means we only have two hours to go.” 

Blair let a bark of nervous laughter get out and asked, “Are you as nervous as I am?”

“Yeah, I am. This is a major step. We know nothing about kids and here we are trying to adopt three girls. Boys, I could understand, but three little girls?” Jim replied

“Girls or boys, it’s still going to be tough. But I hope they are open to a gay relationship. It would be awful if they said no, first thing.”

“I wasn’t even thinking about them. Maybe I’m rushing into this; do you think so, Chief?”

“We need to calm down and slow down. There is no rush. If we find a house today, we can buy it. We have plenty of cash in savings. There is no need for a loan. Then we still have plenty for furniture and so on. But we won’t do the bedrooms up until we find out for sure if we’re getting them or not. Sound good?”

Jim pulled Blair in for a quick kiss and said, “You always know what to say, Chief. Thank you.”

“Sit down, Jim. I have something to talk to you about.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” Jim replied.

“I would like you to think about another line of business. You said you’re going to retire in five years. Do you think you could decide on another business and do it sooner?” Blair asked. 

“You want me to stop being a cop?”

“Jim, I think it’s going to be hard enough raising a family, but raising a family as a cop would be most difficult.”

“Do I have time to think about it?”

“Of course you have time. You had discussed opening a private investigation company with Simon and some of the guys. Are you still considering that?” Blair wondered aloud. 

“I’ll talk to Simon and see what he thinks. I don’t want to rush into that either, Blair.”

“I totally understand that, man. Now, tell me, how have your senses been without me helping you at the station.”

“I have a sensory spike every now and then, but Connor knows what to do to help and so does Simon. Between the two of them I’m covered. Why are you asking that?”

“I’m just wondering if you’re telling me everything that happens at night. You make it sound like you’re doing great, but I can’t help but worry,” Blair said. 

“I am doing great, Chief. Now that’s something we have to think about with children in the house. Do we tell them about my senses or not?”

“I would think that the eight and ten year old would be able to handle something like that. But the five year old is too young. She wouldn’t understand yet. That’s just my opinion, of course.”

“And I value your opinion above anyone else’s Blair. I’ll talk to Simon tomorrow about switching jobs. I don’t think he would be opposed to it. He hates his job some of the time. But we might miss the excitement of robberies, murder and things like that. Then again, we might learn to love that type of life without them in it.”

“We’ll decide what’s best for everyone, Jim. I want you to be happy, above all else. And I want me to be happy too. I am, by the way.”

The next hour and a half was taken up by talk of how different life would be with children in the house. They discussed how difficult it would be at times and how great it would be the other times. Before long it was time to head into town for the application process. Both men were chomping at the bit.

!!!!!

When they arrived at the state office for child services, Jim asked for Maggie Stewart. Both men were told to take a number and wait for them to call their number. They might not get Maggie Stewart, they learned.

“I guess I should have made an appointment,” Jim said sourly.

“Jim, this is when to use your badge. I’m serious, don’t give me that look. Tell them it’s important and you need to speak to her at her earliest convenience. They’ll get us in there in record time.”

Jim smiled at his love and said, “For you, I’ll do this. Let’s hope I don’t get fired.”

Jim walked up to the counter and showed his badge and the woman that had been so rude to them, instantly got very friendly and easy to work with. Her name was Jenny and she told Jim that it would only be a short time. 

Jim sat down and tried not to smile, but he couldn’t help it. Blair was snickering under his breath and it was contagious. 

“Do you see what you make me do?” Jim asked. 

“Hey, more time to look at houses, man. Tell me if you hear her back there telling Maggie we’re here.”

Jim closed his eyes and listened and sure enough Jenny was telling Maggie all about the big buff cop waiting to talk to her in the waiting room. Then Jim heard Maggie telling Jenny to go ahead and take them to her office. She would follow shortly. 

“We’re going in just a few moments,” Jim whispered. 

“Cool.”

Jenny walked out and called Jim Ellison and he and Blair got up and walked to the desk. 

“Yes?” Jim asked. 

“I’m supposed to take you to wait in Maggie’s office, but I didn’t tell her about your partner. Should I have?” Jenny asked. 

“It’s important that we both talk to her, so we’ll tell her when we see her. You’re doing a fine job, Jenny,” Jim said almost flirting. 

As they followed Jenny down the hallway Blair kicked Jim in the back of his leg. 

Jenny couldn’t be certain, but she was fairly certain that there was some type of animal in the building. She heard a growl of a dog or something. She turned to Jim and said, “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Jim asked, innocently. 

Blair just smiled and followed them in. Every now and then, his spirit guide would come to the surface when Jim needed to be reminded about who he belonged to. Blair hadn’t meant to growl, but he couldn’t help it. Jim was going to pay for that later. 

Jenny showed them into the office and shut the door behind them. Jim and Blair both sat down and began to fidget. They were both a lot more nervous than they had let on to each other that morning. 

Maggie Stewart walked in and said, “Jim, it’s so good to see you. I didn’t know if you were serious or not, but I told them we might have a suitable home. Not that I know you’re suitable yet. We have a lot of hoops to jump through before that. Now, this must be your partner?” 

Jim stood up and so did Blair. “This is my life partner, Blair Sandburg. Blair, this is Maggie Stewart.”

Blair shook her hand and said, “It’s very good to meet you. Jim spoke most highly of you.”

“He did the same about you. He must have been right when he said you’d both be in here in the morning. It’s good to see some people keep their word,” Maggie said. 

Maggie set them down and told them what they needed to fill out. While they were doing this, she got the papers ready that Jim and Blair would have to have signed by co-workers and employers, saying what they thought about Jim and Blair being parents. The paperwork seemed unending, and finally at 10:30 they finished what had to be done that day. Maggie then handed them the papers to have signed from their friends and co-workers and told them to bring them in as soon as possible. 

“Did you find a house yet, Jim?”

“We’re looking at some really good ones late this morning and this afternoon. They are in a beautiful neighborhood, great schools that we have looked up already and we’re looking at five bedrooms. The girls would each have their own room,” Jim answered. 

“That is excellent,” Maggie replied. 

“Well, we’re going to drop off the papers and get them signed and brought back as soon as possible,” Blair said as he stood up to leave. 

“You don’t have to rush if you don’t want to, because the girls are in a nice foster home right now. It’s going to take awhile to get all of the paperwork handled and the inspection done and the personal interviews. So as you can see, there is no rush,” Maggie said. 

“We like to be on time and ahead of things. So we’ll do things as quickly as we can so that we can get the girls into a real home. One they won’t have to leave,” Jim said. 

“I don’t want you to get too excited, because something could easily go wrong with the inspection or the interviews. Lets take one day at a time, Jim and Blair.”

“I think that’s good advice, Maggie. We’ll try and slow down a little bit. We’re both just really excited,” Blair explained. 

“It was really nice meeting you, Blair. I wish both you a lot of luck and happiness.”

“It was nice meeting you, too,” Blair said, smiling. 

Jim and Blair walked out of the office with a new way to look at life. Things might not work out, but they wouldn’t go down without a good fight. 

The men took the papers needing to be signed to Blair’s work first and then stopped by Major Crimes and did the same. Everyone was very pleased for them. They had all said they would have them done by morning. Jim and Blair were as pleased as peacocks when they left both places.

!!!!!

Mark Murphy was getting everything ready for showing houses when two nice looking men walked through the door and he would be willing to make a bet that they were the couple he was showing the houses to. He walked up to Jim and Blair and said, “So you must be Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg.”

Jim stuck his hand out and said, “Yes. I’m Jim and this is Blair. It’s very nice to meet you, Mark.”

Blair shook his hand next and said, “We’re ready to look at houses.”

“Do you want to follow me, or ride with me?” Mark asked. 

Blair looked at the stricken look on Jim’s face and asked, “Why don’t you ride with us instead. We’re got a very comfortable SUV.”

“Okay, I can do that and just tell you where to go. All five houses are in the same area, so we won’t be doing too much driving today. May I ask why you need such a large home, because we have a lot more houses than five, which have three bedrooms?”

Blair was the first to answer. “We’re trying to adopt a family of three, so we need a room for each of the girls and then a room for an office for us. Therefore, a five bedroom works out best.” 

“Okay, guys, I’m ready to go,” Mark said happily, carrying his folders. 

Jim rolled his eyes at Blair. Jim knew very well why he would be ready to go. He was going to make a killing on the sale of any of these houses. Blair was giving him a look that said, ‘hey everyone has to make a living’ and Jim decided Blair was right. Commission or not, the man was very nice.

!!!!!

They had seen four houses already and they didn’t look anything like they did in the pictures. Jim and Blair were both discouraged.

“Well, this is the house right here,” Mark said, “I hope this one looks like a winner to you.”

Both men looked at the outside of the house and loved it. It was brick and on a huge lot. There was a three car garage and Jim fell in love with that instantly. Mark opened up the front door and the first thing Jim noticed was the fresh scent of the home. Not one with tons of deodorizers to help hide the smells of a home with animals. Jim knew right away that these people had no animals. The house was huge. As they walked in, the entry way was the size of their living room at the loft. Jim whistled and Mark took this as a good sign. 

As they walked through the house seeing each room, Blair was getting more excited by the moment. This was the house. Blair knew it. He could feel it and he looked over at Jim and knew that this was the one Jim wanted too. 

“Why didn’t you show us this one first?” Jim asked, Mark. 

“This one is a little higher than you said you wanted to spend. So it’s $50,000.00 more for this house. I should have told you that right away. I’m sorry,” Mark said. 

“It’s fine. It’s worth the difference. This is a grand house. Everything so far is wonderful. I love how two of the bedrooms have a bathroom between them so the older girls can share the bath,” Jim said. 

“They’re called Jack-n-Jill bath,” Mark said. This time, Blair was the one to roll his eyes. 

Jim almost started to laugh at that, but decided this guy was really nice and didn’t deserve to be made fun of. 

They continued looking at the house, including the best kitchen they had ever seen in their lives and finally got to the yard. It was huge also, fully fenced and had a bunch of playground equipment on the property, including a swing set and a trampoline. The swing set was one, like at the parks. It wasn’t a child’s swing set you buy at a toy store. Someone had put a lot of money into this back yard to make their family happy. 

Jim looked around the beautifully kept yard and asked, “Do you think they would leave the play ground equipment?”

“We can ask to have that thrown in to the deal. The worst they can do is say no,” Mark explained. 

“Maybe we could get some of the furniture too. It’s all gorgeous and really kept up nicely,” Blair said. 

“I agree, I would like to see if they would let some of the furniture stay,” Jim said. 

“We’ll write it all into the contract. Of course you will have to offer more with the furniture and yard goodies,” Mark said. 

“We understand. We want this one, don’t we, Chief?”

“We do. We’d like to put the offer in right away. We’re paying cash, so there is nothing we have to qualify for. Do you think we would get an answer this afternoon?” Blair asked. 

“Oh yes, there is no reason why they wouldn’t answer right away, especially if it’s a cash transaction. People love dealing with cash instead of loans. I see no problems at all, unless of course the owners are out of town and hard to reach,” Mark said. 

Mark excused himself and went outside for a moment. He brought in his laptop and began to work on the offer. Jim and Blair offered quite a bit more so that they wouldn’t have to furnish the entire house and the back yard would be ready to have fun in. Once that was all done, he emailed the papers off and they all sat out on the back porch waiting for the reply. 

Jim looked around the yard and neighborhood and loved it and knew they could be happy here. 

Mark’s phone went off and he went into the house to see what they had sent back. Jim and Blair just stayed on the porch, talking about how perfect this house was. 

When Mark appeared back on the porch again, he was smiling. “They accepted your offer and said for as nice as the offer was, they would leave all of the furniture, in all of the rooms. You will be able to close as soon as we have an inspection done and the termite inspectors come. So, I think we’re talking about a month or so for closing. I will give you a list of inspectors and Orkin is usually the pest service we use to test for termites.”

“I can’t believe they accepted the first offer,” Jim admitted. 

“It’s been on the market for awhile now. I guess it was time for it to sell. They got another offer an hour ago and they were still thinking about it, but it wasn’t nearly as nice as yours so they decided your offer would be the one.”

Jim and Blair were so happy they couldn’t even speak to each other at first. Once they were in the car, Mark said, “You’re all right with this deal, correct?”

Jim smiled back at him sitting nervously in the back seat. “We’re fine. We’re just overly happy and want to celebrate alone.”

“Yeah, what Jim said,” Blair joked. 

This seemed to calm Mark down and he got the list of inspectors for Jim and Blair to call. He handed it to Blair and said, “The sooner you get it done with, the sooner we can close.”

“Oh don’t you worry. We’ll have it scheduled by tonight,” Blair said happily. 

“Next, we’ll need your earnest money check as soon as possible. It has to be from a bank, in the form of a cashier’s check. Do you think you can get that back to me today?” Mark asked hopefully. 

“You tell us the amount that it needs to be and we’ll go from there. It will only take a few minutes because our bank is across the street from your office,” Jim said as he pulled up to the office parking lot and parked. 

Jim and Blair got out at the same time and smiled at each other over the hood of the SUV. The two men knew that their lives were going to change from this day on, and that was all right with both of them. 

Blair went to the bank to get the cashier’s check and Jim went inside with Mark to list his loft on the market. Mark was thrilled that they liked him enough to trust him with their older home. Jim got all of the papers signed where he needed to, now they just needed Blair. 

Blair walked in about that time and handed the check to Mark, grinning from ear to ear. “What’s going on?” Blair asked. 

“I just asked Mark to list our loft and he agreed. Now, you need to sign all of the papers that I already signed,” Jim answered. 

Blair signed them and gave a key to Mark for showing it. Jim hadn’t even thought of that. He knew he kept Blair around for these special things. After they were all done, the men left the office and got into the SUV. They both took a deep breath and let it out at the same time. This made them laugh, softly. 

“I was so nervous, but I think we got the right house,” Blair said. 

“I totally agree with you, Chief. Now, we’ll have lots of things to do for the next few days. Maybe you could call Simon and sweet talk him into letting me off for three days to do some family business.”

“I can’t believe you’re asking me to call your boss for you. I’ll do that, big man.” Blair got his phone out and called Simon. 

“Banks.”

“Hi Simon, this is Blair, do you have a moment?”

“Is this going to cost me money or give me a headache?” Simon asked good naturedly. 

“As a matter of fact, it’s a favor. Jim needs three days off for family business and he’s driving, so I told him I would call and ask. Do you have a headache yet?” Blair kidded. 

“No, I’m relieved that that’s all it is. Tell him to take the week. He’s got tons of time to use up and I wish you luck with the fostering process. And speaking of that, everyone has their papers done if you want to pick them up and take them to the agency. That might get things moving a little faster.”

“We’ll do that now, Simon. Thank you for the week,” Blair said before he closed his cell. 

Jim had already turned around and headed back to Major Crimes. “That was nice of Simon to give me time off. Now, can you get any off for anything that comes up?”

“I’m making my call now.” Blair proceeded to call and take a week off from the university and then he called the first number on the list of inspectors and talked to John Smith. Blair liked it that he had such a simple name, so he decided to go with him. John Smith told Blair they could meet him at the house at 9:00 the next morning. Blair agreed and closed his cell again. 

“Now I have to call Mark back and tell him it’s on for tomorrow.” When Blair finished talking to Mark he was all smiles. 

Jim looked over at him when he came to a stoplight and pulled him close for a kiss. “Thank you for handling it all while I get to do the easy part of it.”

“I liked doing it. I never thought we would get a home, so this was exciting to me,” Blair explained. 

“I love you, Chief.”

“I love you, man.”

!!!!!

Jim and Blair picked up the papers from the university and Major Crimes and took them over to Maggie’s office. Jim flashed his badge again and Jenny took them right to Maggie’s office.

Jim had a copy of the house address and directions to it so they could check it out as soon as they signed the papers. 

Maggie opened the door and said, “Come in and tell me you found a house.”

“We found a house,” Blair joked. 

“Seriously? You did find one already?” Maggie asked. 

“We sure did, Maggie and it’s gorgeous. Here is a copy of the address with directions and when we should be closing for the inspection of the house. If there is anything else you need, just call and we’ll take care of it,” Jim said. 

“This is perfect. We’ll be able to get it inspected in three weeks to a month. So in the meantime we’ll get all of the interviews taken care of so you can meet the girls.”

“Thank you for doing everything as fast as you are, Maggie. This means the world to us. Blair can’t wait to meet the girls,” Jim said. 

“They are very anxious to meet Blair too. Maybe you could go over and meet them before we have all of the other things taken care of. That way we can see if the girls are alright with you both,” Maggie suggested. 

“When could we meet them?” Blair asked. 

“I think we could get you in today to meet the girls, Blair.”

“Today?” Jim asked, somewhat shocked. 

“The sooner the girls meet Blair and see the two of you together, the better. Now what time can I tell them you will be there? I’ll give you the address of the foster home they are at now,” Maggie said. She wrote down the address and then looked at Jim and Blair for an answer about the time.

“What about 6:30?” Jim asked. 

“How about 5:30 and maybe they’ll let you take them for dinner. Let me call the main office first and ask,” Maggie said as she sat down and made the call. 

Jim and Blair were both really nervous at how quickly things were working out. It was going to take awhile to get them but at least they had their feet in the front door.

Maggie set down the phone and said, “They said it would be a good idea if you took the girls out tonight, if they want to go. The couple that has them have other children, so they could probably use a slight break.”

“We’ll be there at 5:30,” Blair said as he took the paper with the address and folded it and put it into his pocket. 

Jim said, “I’m shocked that they’re letting us take them for dinner. Is this the usual practice?”

“It’s going to be hard to place all three together and you’re willing to take all three into one home. They’re very interested in you two. With good reason.” Maggie took the papers that Jim had in his hand. 

“Blair have a good time meeting the girls. They are very anxious to meet you,” Maggie said. 

“They aren’t the only ones. I feel like I’m late to the party,” Blair said. 

“They’re as nervous as you are, Blair. Just remember that.”

“Where do we go from here?” Jim asked. 

Maggie said, “I’ll call and let them know you’ll be there at 5:30.”

Jim and Blair almost ran from the office, they were so excited. Maggie couldn’t help it; she snickered when she shut the door. 

“Maggie is laughing at us,” Jim said as they rushed down the hallway. 

“Do we care?” Blair asked. 

“Not today,” Jim replied and walked faster to the parking lot.

!!!!!

Jim and Blair arrived at 5:30 and found the foster parents waiting and ready to show the girls off.

“You must be Jim Ellison? I’m Tony Matthews and my wife Sheila and I’ve got three little girls dying to meet their future foster parents. Do you think you’re ready?”

“Mr. Matthews, we were born ready,” Blair answered. 

The girls stood up and Emily said, “Hello, Jim. It’s good to see you again.”

“Hello, Emily. This is my partner, Blair Sandburg.”

“It’s good to meet you, Blair,” Emily said sweetly. 

“Blair, this is Sophie and this is Abby.” Jim smiled at all of them with such pride. 

Blair couldn’t get over how lovely the girls were each with blue eyes and brown hair. They were just beautiful. 

“You have pretty hair, Blair,” Abby said.

“Why thank you. I keep thinking I should really get it cut, but I never do,” Blair answered. 

“I’m glad you didn’t cut it. I like your hair a lot,” Sophie chimed in. 

“Wow, who knew my hair would be such a hit?” Blair kidded. 

Emily got closer to Jim and said, “They tell us that you and Blair would take all three of us to live with you. Is that true?”

“It’s very true, Emily. We just bought a house today with lots and lots of bedrooms so everyone would have their own room,” Jim said. 

“Why would you want someone else’s children?” Emily asked sadly. 

“We can’t have children of our own, so if you three agree to live with us, we get a chance at having a family like other people.”

Sophie turned to Blair and asked, “Do you like kids?”

“We love kids, Sophie. I’m a teacher, so I like kids of all ages,” Blair confessed. 

“You’re a teacher? That’s so cool. Then if we had trouble with school work you would be the one to ask?” Sophie asked. 

“No, Jim is very smart also, so you can ask either of us and we would love to help you all with your work,” Blair replied. 

Emily asked, “What school would we be going to?”

“It’s Cottonwood Elementary; do you know anyone from that school?” Jim asked. 

“That’s not the school that we used to go to. So that means we would have to change schools. Is that right?” Emily asked, sounding so grown up. 

“The school is not a problem right now. Sometimes changes are good. We’ll be sure that you girls get to talk to someone every week about all of the changes that will be going on in your lives,” Blair said. 

Abby asked, “Can I sit with you sometimes?”

“You can sit with either of us any time you choose to. We’ll play games together and have a family night for nothing but games,” Blair said. 

Abby jumped up and down and said, “I want to go with them for dinner. I want to go with them to live.”

Jim and Blair both grinned like mad and Jim said, “Where should we go to dinner? Let’s let Emily choose tonight.”

You could tell Emily was thinking like crazy and finally said, “We love Olive Garden, could we go there for dinner?”

Blair took a hold of Abby’s hand and said, “Olive Garden it is. Do we have a booster seat for the car?”

Tony was impressed that they thought of that. For a change, they wondered if things might work out well for these three children. Tony handed them the booster car seat and said, “We’ll be here when you get back. Take your time and have a good evening.”

“Thank you, Tony,” Abby called out as she happily walked out the door with Blair.

Jim and the older girls walked out behind them and Sophie said, “Wow, this is your car?”

“Yes, this is our family car. Blair has one just like it in a different color. So as you see, we have plenty of room for all three of you,” Jim said. 

Once they got everyone settled in the car they started out for Olive Garden. They were all very quiet. 

Blair decided that he needed to get them talking. “So, Emily, tell me what grade you’re in.”

Emily said, “I’m in fourth grade, Blair. Sophie is in second grade and Abby started kindergarten. Did you mean it when you said we each would have our own room?” 

Jim smiled at how easily Blair got her talking. 

Blair smiled back at all three of them and answered, “You not only have your own rooms, but Emily and Sophie have a bathroom in between their rooms. It’s going to be a great house.”

“So I don’t have a bathroom?” Abby asked and all four of them started laughing. 

“You get a main bathroom, so not to worry, you don’t have to share with anyone in your own bathroom,” Jim said. 

This made Abby very happy. She giggled and then the girls started laughing along with her. It was hard to believe that only two days before their parents had been killed. Jim knew that there would be many days that would call for some therapy, but for right now, they seemed happy and content. 

Blair decided to ask the hard question. “So girls, does it bother you that instead of a girlfriend Jim has me?”

Emily didn’t answer right away. Jim could see that she was thinking. He was watching her in the rear-view mirror. But Sophie said rather quickly, “We are just happy that someone wants all three of us. There were a lot of people that wanted just one of us, but not all three of us.”

Emily was finally ready to answer and she said, “Is it okay that I think it’s sort of weird?”

“Yes, it’s fine. It takes some getting used to, Emily,” Jim answered. 

“I’m used to both of you already,” Abby said smiling brightly. 

“This is all going to take time and you have a lot of thinking to do. You have to decide if this is the best fit for you and your sisters. You’re the oldest, so you might have to help make the decision,” Blair said. 

Jim wanted to smack him for even mentioning not being with them, but he knew that Blair was right as usual.

They parked at Olive Garden, walked in, got seated quite quickly and they all ordered their drinks and decided on what they wanted for dinner. They talked happily during the entire meal and dessert. Emily said, “I think I’m going to tell Tony that you two are right for us. You’re the right fit.”

Blair got tears in his eyes when she said it and Jim looked like he was going to, but stayed tough as usual. 

“Thank you, Emily. We would love taking care of all three of you. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Other people have to make the decision also. They might not see us as a good fit. But knowing you do will make it bearable for us for the rest of time. Now, let’s get back before they put out a search party for us,” Blair said.

!!!!!

When they arrived back at the foster home, Abby was sound asleep and Jim carried her in. Tony took her from him and Jim hated that feeling of losing her. Tony must have seen the look on Jim’s face because he said, “It won’t be that long, Jim. Everything will work out fine.”

“Thank you,” Jim said. 

“Yes, thank you, Tony and thank you girls for being such good sports about putting up with us old guys for dinner,” Blair added. 

Emily and Sophie gave them each a hug before they left, but Abby was still sleeping. 

Once inside the SUV, Jim wanted to cry in the worst way. He hated giving Abby up to Tony and he hated leaving them with those people any longer than they had to.

“It’ll be all right Jim. It might take awhile. Maggie said maybe a month, but it might be longer. So we just have to play the waiting game and hope for the best.”

Jim reached across the truck and gave Blair a much needed kiss. Both men were longing for those children to stay with them. 

As they drove home, Jim said, “I was thinking off and on all day about what you said about giving up my job?”

“And?” Blair asked. 

“I decided that I love my job. I’m the Sentinel of the great city, and I like being who I am. I’ll just have to be very, very careful with you and the girls in mind.”

“Okay…”

“That’s all you’re going to say?” Jim almost laughed. 

“We don’t want too many changes anyhow. We’ll get this all worked out, Jim. I swear.”

“Now, let’s go home and make sweet love, because I don’t know about you, but I really need it,” Jim said. 

So that is exactly what they did.

!!!!!

In the next three weeks, they got the house inspected, the termite inspection done and signed all of the papers for the house. On the fourth week, they closed at the title company and received the keys to the house.

Mark had also sold the loft in record time, so they were sitting pretty. 

Jim and Blair couldn’t believe they were moving already. Although for two days, they had been doing non-stop packing, getting things ready to move over there every night and get settled in. 

When they still had not received a call after a month, Jim was like a cloud of doom all over the new house. 

“Jim, sometimes it takes longer than you think it does to make decisions. I’m sure they would have called if it was bad news.”

“Why didn’t they tell us it would be longer? I’m just disappointed.”

“But, we’ve had more time to get things ready for the girls’ rooms right?” Blair asked. 

“Yeah, but what if we don’t get them,” Jim whined. 

“Bite that tongue, Jim. Keep happy thoughts and I don’t want to hear another negative word about it.”

“I love you, Blair.”

“And I love you, Jim.”

They both knew that it was going to be a hard time going back to work with no new news. But there was nothing they could do about that.

!!!!!

After five weeks, Simon called Jim into his office. “Ellison, my office.”

Megan Connor laughed and said, “We just never hear that enough.”

“Oh shut up,” Jim said laughing and walked into Simon’s office. 

Jim knocked on the door and opened it and walked in. “What’s up, Simon?”

“I got a phone call this morning and wanted to tell you about it. It was from Maggie Stewart. She was looking for the two of you and wanted you to call her. Why don’t you use my office to make the call,” Simon suggested and walked out the door. 

Jim picked up the phone and dialed the number. He asked for Maggie and was put on hold. “Maggie Stewart, can I help you?”

“Hi, Maggie its Jim Ellison. We heard that you called while we were out. What’s going on?”

“I wanted to tell you that you and Blair have been approved for fostering the children. You can pick them up first thing in the morning, at my office. All of the paperwork will be ready for you to sign. How does that work for you?” Maggie asked. 

“We’ll be there at 8:00 tomorrow morning to pick the girls up.”

“Good, now go and tell everyone your good news. We’ll see you tomorrow. Congratulations to you and Blair,” Maggie said before she hung up. 

Jim came walking out of Simon’s office smiling and said, “We get the kids.”

Connor said, “This is wonderful news.”

They all walked over and hugged Jim and told him good luck. Jim called Blair immediately and told him the news and the bullpen gang all laughed when Jim held the phone away from his ear after telling Blair the news. Jim really needed those eardrums. 

Yes, Jim and Blair were picking the girls up the following morning and their new life would begin. 

Jim realized he had to call his dad. He had told him about what they planned on doing, but he didn’t know the news yet. Jim couldn’t wait to tell him. William wanted to be a grandpa in the worst way. Jim picked up his phone and called William next and talked for a short time before holding the phone away from his ear again. Connor patted him on the back as she walked by. 

“Get used to the noise, Jimbo. You’re never going to have peace and quiet again.”

Jim didn’t care. This was turning out to be a perfect day and he was pleased with everyone and everything. Nothing could ruin it.

!!!!!

Blair had some time to himself in his office at the university and found a therapist for the girls to see. Lord knows they would need one to help them deal with the loss of their parents and a same sex couple fostering them all in the same month. He set up once a week appointments to start with for each of the girls. He would take them after they got out of school on Thursdays. That was an easy and quiet day for Blair, so it was just right. Blair had already arranged a schedule for him and Jim to make the girls’ lives easier. Blair would pick them up every day at 3:00 from school and Jim would be dropping them off at 8:00 in the mornings. That way they would know that one of them would be there for them all the time. Things were going to work out just swell. Blair set up an appointment with the therapist that afternoon, so they could learn what to do and what not to do with the girls on the first day. Blair smiled when he realized that this would probably be the only way he would get Jim into therapy without a fight.

!!!!!

Jim and Blair met at the therapist’s office and began their hour. Jim wasn’t happy about seeing one, but did it for the girls and Blair. They were all worth it. Jeff Taylor turned out to be an excellent therapist. Jim learned that the girls were going to be going through a lot of things and how to deal with them. Blair learned that he loved therapy. Jeff made them both feel really comfortable.

!!!!!

The following day, Jim and Blair were up at the crack of dawn to get things ready for the girls. They were going to pick them up and then take them shopping for clothing, school supplies and shoes. The day would be pretty much taken up, but if there was any time left, Blair hoped they could let the girls pick out their bedding and curtains for their rooms. They were done up, but not for little girls. For teenage ones, maybe, but way too old for their little girls.

“I’m so excited, I’m driving myself crazy,” Blair said as he paced the kitchen, which was a big kitchen to pace in. The house was beautiful and looked great. 

“Calm down a little, Chief. This is probably one of the most exciting days for us, but we have to stay calm for the girls. Remember that this might be a little hard for them. We have to try and understand about what the therapist said. They’re going to feel like we might want them to forget their mom and dad. So I think the first thing we need to do is get pictures of their parents for the bedrooms. What do you think?”

“That’s a great idea, Jim. We’ll ask the girls about it today when we pick them up. It’s good to address some of this, so it doesn’t bother any of us. I can’t believe how much you paid attention during therapy.”

“I did it for you and them, Blair. It’s finally time to pick the girls up, Chief, so let’s get a move on,” Jim said, smiling. 

Blair felt like he was going to burst from happiness. He followed Jim out to the SUV and got in happily. 

The drive over there was quiet. Both men had a lot on their minds. Finally Blair said, “Jim, always remember that I love you no matter what I say or do.”

“Do you see yourself saying or doing something I won’t like?” Jim asked, grinning. 

“I see myself saying a bunch of things you won’t like. Like, no you can’t have sex right now. No, you can’t have sex later. No, not with the girls in the house,” Blair said seriously. 

“Well, it makes sense that our sex life is going to change somewhat, but we’ll work it out, Chief. Let’s not make a big production out of it now. Okay?”

“Alright, but I am apologizing ahead of time,” Blair reminded him. 

“In that case, so do I,” Jim added. 

Jim pulled up to the office where the girls were at and they held hands for a moment. “Welcome to fatherhood, Blair.”

“Same to you, Jim.”

Both men got out of the SUV and walked up to the building. Jim could see the girls from a distance through the mini-blinds and see they were as excited as Jim and Blair were. “I can see them, Chief, and they’re excited, too.”

“I hate that I don’t have your senses sometimes.”

Jim chuckled and they continued walking into the building. 

As soon as they opened the door to Maggie’s office, Abby went running up to Jim and hugged his leg. “Jim, are we leaving with you today?”

“Yes, Abby, you are,” Jim replied. 

“Oh goody.” Abby then hugged Blair’s leg and was practically dancing in the office waiting to leave. 

Jim and Blair had to sign a bunch of papers and then the girls were theirs. “Are you ready to go to your new home?” Blair asked all three of them. 

“I am,” Sophie answered happily. 

“I am too,” Emily said, trying not to sound too excited but failing. 

Jim and Blair shook hands with everyone in the office and they took the girls to the SUV for their ride to their new home. The men both carried boxes and suitcases for the girls. 

Once everything and everyone was settled in the SUV, Jim drove off to start their new life. He and Blair were smiling like mad. 

“We’re going to drop these things off at the house and get you girls settled. Then if you’re up to it, we’re going to go shopping for new clothing and shoes. And let’s not forget school supplies,” Blair said. 

“We don’t have to go to school yet?” Sophie asked. 

“Not for two days. We have an appointment with the school to get you all signed up and also to talk to the counselor. That gives us time to shop and get you settled in at the house. Does that sound good?” Jim asked. 

“That sounds great,” Emily answered. 

Jim pulled up in front of their new home and Emily said, “This is a pretty house, Jim and Blair.”

“We like it and we’re hoping the three of you will too,” Blair said. 

They all carried in suitcases and boxes from the SUV and Jim listened as they walked from room to room. 

“This is going to be your room, Abby. It’s the closest to our room, so if you need us all you have to do is yell,” Jim said. 

“I love this room, Jim. I think I’m going to like it here very much. Thank you,” Abby said as she hugged his leg again. Jim reached down and hugged her back. 

Blair said, “Come on, Sophie, your room is next.” He opened the door to a lovely room and said, “This is all yours. And right through here is a bathroom that you will share with Emily. If you need us for anything, I’m telling you all you have to do is yell our names and we’ll be there.”

“I love my room, too, Blair. Thank you,” Sophie said as she set her suitcase down and Blair laid the box on the bed. 

Jim could tell that Emily was excited so he decided to put her out of her misery. “Emily, if you follow me, you’ll see your room. Yours is actually the largest room, because you’re the oldest. What do you think?” Jim asked as he opened the door to her room. 

“I love it, Jim and Blair. Thank you so much.” She gave each of them a hug and looked around her room, over and over again.

“And right through this door is the adjoining bathroom,” Blair reminded her. 

“This is a great house. I really like it,” Emily said smiling for the first time that day. 

“Who is ready for shopping?” Blair asked. 

“We are,” they all answered together. 

Jim knew he was in trouble with three girls that all liked shopping. He knew he should just give up right away. 

They all got into the SUV again and off they went. The day went pretty smoothly because they were having such a good time spending money. Jim made sure that money was no object when it came to them. They got everything they could possibly need for school, play and just hanging around the house. As they loaded everything into the SUV, Jim said, “Who would like to go and have dinner with their new foster grandpa?”

“I would,” Abby called out from her seat. 

“Why do we have to meet him today?” Emily asked. 

Jim smiled and said, “We don’t. We will meet him when you are ready to meet him. Not any time sooner. Would you prefer to wait?”

“No, we may as well get used to meeting your family and friends, right?” Emily asked. 

“Only if you’re comfortable with it, Emily,” Blair added. 

“I was a little nervous, but I’m going to be fine,” Emily said. 

“How do you feel about meeting a foster grandpa, Sophie?” Blair asked. 

“I think it’s pretty cool. We never had a grandpa, so this will be something very new for us. I want to meet him. What do we call him?” Sophie asked. 

“You could call him William or you could call him Grandpa Ellison or just plain Grandpa. It’s totally up to you,” Jim answered. 

Abby shouted, “I like just plain grandpa.”

They all started laughing on the way home. Blair called William and asked him if he would like to meet them at Red Robin for dinner and meet the girls. Of course William said he was pleased to meet them at 5:00. So that was all set up, now they just needed to get home and help the girls get things ready in their rooms. 

Once home, they unloaded all of the packages and it took several trips. Jim helped Abby try every single thing on and take the tags off so that they could wash everything for school and home. 

Blair let Sophie and Emily be in charge of their own tags and showed them were to put the clothing in the laundry room when they were done. Blair knew he was going to be doing laundry most of the night to catch them up. But it would be worth it. 

Blair went into the kitchen and got plates and glasses down for everyone and called them into the kitchen to join him. He set out a batch of fresh cookies he had made and poured each of them a glass of milk. 

They all walked into the kitchen and Sophie said, “Wow, this is a nice kitchen. Are those cookies that you made, Blair?”

“It is a nice kitchen and yes, I made the cookies early this morning when I couldn’t sleep,” Blair said. 

Emily smiled and said, “Me and Sophie couldn’t sleep this morning either.”

“It’s understandable,” Jim said. 

“What is?” Abby asked, cutely. 

They all laughed and Jim said, “We couldn’t sleep this morning because we were so excited about picking you up.”

Abby thought about that for a minute and said, “We’re sure glad you picked us up.”

Again, they all broke into laughter, but Abby didn’t know why, so she just joined in. 

“Gosh, these are the best cookies, Blair,” Sophie said. 

“Thank you, Sophie, I love this kitchen. Do you girls like to bake and cook?” Blair asked. 

Emily’s smile faltered and said, “We used to.”

“Well, when you’re ready to cook or bake again, you let us know. We’ll be waiting to help you,” Blair said, kindly. 

“What do you say we get ready for dinner?” Jim asked, getting up and cleaning up the dishes. 

“I’m a little nervous, Jim,” Emily said. 

“Don’t ever be nervous. It’s just my dad and he’s a really nice guy to little grand-daughters,” Jim teased. 

“I think I’m gonna like him,” Abby shouted as she jumped up and went running from the room. Jim’s hearing had been up and it blasted his ears and he had made a face. Emily saw it right away. 

“Jim, did they tell you that Abby is ADHD?” Emily said. 

“Yes, they did and it makes no difference to me. I’ll get used to everything in time. Just like all of you will,” Jim replied. 

Blair said, “Come on, let’s get ready to go.”

The older girls changed their clothes three times and Abby tried to, but Jim talked her into the second outfit. Once they were set they drove to Red Robin where they were going to meet their grandpa for the first time.

!!!!!

William sat in a large family booth and waited anxiously to meet the girls that would make his life complete. He had always wanted Jim to have children and now he would. He knew that Jim and Blair would be perfect for these children. William already knew that the children were making Jim and Blair so happy. He watched the front door and smiled when Jim and Blair walked in with three lovely little ladies. Jim bent down and said something to Abby and she ran up to William in the booth, jumped into the booth and gave him a big hug.

“Hi Grandpa, my name is Abby.”

“Hello Abby, it is very nice to meet you,” William answered. 

“Dad, this is Emily and this is Sophie,” Jim said happily. 

“It’s very good to meet you,” Sophie said. 

“I’m very pleased to meet you, too,” Emily added. 

William smiled at them and said, “My family is now complete. This is a wonderful day for all of us. Now, come in and sit down so we can order dinner.”

Dinner went great. The girls talked quite a bit to William and William to them. Jim and Blair were both pleased. Once dessert was done, Abby yawned and Jim knew it was time to take their leave. 

“Dad, we need to get Abby home and to bed. She’s tired,” Jim said. 

“It was great meeting you girls and I hope to see you next weekend. You can tell me all about school and your new friends,” William said. 

They all said their goodbyes and got back into the SUV for the drive home. 

They hadn’t gone far when Emily asked, “Blair, where does your father live?”

“I don’t have a father, Emily. But my mother will be coming for a visit in two weeks or so. She’s a lot of fun, isn’t she Jim?”

“Oh yeah, she’s a riot,” Jim said almost laughing. 

“It’ll be nice to meet her too,” Sophie said. 

“Yes, she’ll enjoy having three little girls to spoil,” Blair agreed. 

When they arrived home, Abby was already asleep. Jim carried her into the house and Emily helped Jim get her pajamas on and got her tucked into bed. 

“Thank you, Emily, I’m still a little new at this,” Jim said. 

Emily smiled. “You’re doing great, Jim.”

“I guess we should get ready for bed too,” Sophie said. 

“Blair and I would like to talk to the two of you in the kitchen for a few moments. It’s sort of important.” 

Emily and Sophie followed them into the kitchen, looking at each other apprehensively.

“Girls stop worrying, it’s nothing bad,” Blair said. 

They all sat at the kitchen table and Blair began to tell the girls about sentinel senses and what they were good for and what problems were caused by them. He told them about it being a huge secret and they couldn’t tell anyone but their new therapist. The girls listened and nodded their heads, but seemed to take it all in stride. 

“Do you have any questions? Blair asked. 

“I think we shouldn’t tell Abby because she can’t keep a secret for more then ten minutes,” Sophie suggested. 

“I agree, Sophie. We decided we would wait until she was your age before we talked to her about it,” Jim said. 

“Jim, will you be listening to us all the time?” Emily asked. 

“I can’t help but listen if I’m worried, but no, I’m going to try and keep my senses turned down when I’m in the house. You have a right to your privacy. Do you think you can live with us knowing this about me?” Jim asked. 

Sophie patted Jim and the back and said, “Don’t worry so much. You’re worse than we are.”

Jim figured while he had them here he would ask the hard question. “Girls, do you have pictures of your mom and dad you would like to put up in your room?”

Emily had tears in her eyes and said, “We didn’t think you would let us remember them.”

Blair smiled at the sad girls. “You never have to forget them. We’ll put some pictures up tomorrow, how does that sound?”

“Thank you, Blair and Jim. You’re both very nice and we’re grateful that you took all of us together. We were so afraid of being separated. They warned us that that might happen,” Emily explained. 

“When do we start school?” Sophie asked. 

“First thing Monday morning. So this weekend, we would like to invite some friends over to meet you if you’re in the mood,” Blair said. 

“More family?” Emily wondered. 

Jim understood the caution she was showing. “No, just our friends from work and if it’s too soon, we can do that anytime. It’s totally up to you.”

“We would love to meet your friends. I figure they might be as nice as you both are, so what could we lose?” Emily stated. 

Jim and Blair knew they had to make plans and make some calls. It wouldn’t take long. 

So in the next four days, counting the weekend, they bought all new bedding for each of the girls’ rooms and they also went and got all of the shopping supplies for a huge picnic. 

On Saturday, Blair was making the potato salad when Emily asked, “Could we play outside for awhile? Or do you need some help with things?”

“By all means, play out in that wonderful back yard. That’s what it’s there for. Jim and I will get this picnic under way,” Blair said. 

In the next ten minutes Jim walked up to Blair and kissed him on the back of the neck. This was the first time they were actually alone, so it was nice. Jim missed Blair. “You should see them out there playing and laughing,” Jim said. 

“They’re such nice girls, aren’t they? Let’s go sit on the back patio and watch them play for awhile. Potato salad is all made, homemade baked beans and so are the deviled eggs. We just need to cook the hamburgers once everyone gets here. Come on, let’s go watch our girls,” Blair pulled Jim by the hand and they walked out of the back door. They both sat down on the glider and started rocking; loving the nice weather, the girls and thoughts of good friends. 

Abby saw them sitting on the glider and came running up to them. “Jim, can you swing with me?” 

“Sure, those are heavy duty swings, so we’re able to swing with you anytime you feel like it,” Jim said. 

Emily walked up a little shyly and said, “Blair, why don’t you come with us and swing too. There are five swings. We can have a race to see who can get the highest.”

Blair grabbed Emily’s hand and walked over to the swing set. When he walked by Sophie, he grabbed her hand and off they went to start the swinging race. 

After about an hour of this, Jim and Blair were ready for a nap. Boy did they feel old. The gate to the backyard opened and in walked Simon. “Hey, no one answered the front door, so I figured you might be out here.”

Jim called the girls over. “Emily, Sophie and Abby, this is our dear friend, Simon Banks.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Banks. We’ve heard a lot of good things about you,” Emily said, shaking his hand. 

“I’ve heard just as many about all three of you, too. It’s nice to finally see you girls and spend some time with all of you. But all I ask is that you call me Simon,” Simon stated. 

“Do you have any kids, Simon?” Abby asked, almost jumping around in place. 

Simon smiled. “I have a son who is in college now. His name is Daryl. I know he’s going to like meeting you, too.”

“Simon, would you like to swing with us?” Abby asked, sweetly. 

“Jim, will this set hold me?” 

“This is a park set. Each swing holds 250 pounds. I think you’re safe, Simon.” Jim smiled as Abby grabbed Simon’s hand and dragged him off with her. 

“She’s not very shy,” Emily said, looking somewhat stern.

Jim smiled at her. “There is no reason to be shy with Simon or any of our friends because they are great people. You’re going to love them all. Speaking of friends, we have some more coming around the house right now. It’s Joel and Megan. You’re going to like them a lot.”

At that moment, Joel and Megan walked into the back yard and saw the kids and smiled instantly. Then they saw their boss on a swing and both began to laugh. 

Simon shouted, “I still have a work slot to fill on Sunday. Better watch out what you say about me.”

Both Megan and Joel stopped smiling and walked over to Jim and Blair and the two girls standing there. 

“Emily and Sophie, this is Megan Connor and Joel Taggart. We work with them, too,” Blair said in way of introduction. 

“It’s very nice meeting you, Megan. Blair has told us so much about you already,” Emily said. 

“I hope it was good things,” Megan teased. 

Emily looked scared for a moment and saw she was teasing and smiled. “They were all good things. Blair also told us about Joel, too. We feel like we’ve already met you before.”

Sophie smiled and asked, “Megan would you like to swing with us?”

“I thought you would never ask. See you later, Sandy and Jimbo,” Connor said as she walked happily away from them, holding both girls’ hands. 

Emily asked Megan, “Why did you just call Jim and Blair, Sandy and Jimbo?”

Megan Connor now had Sophie’s attention too. 

“The reason I call Blair Sandy is because his last name is Sandburg and it’s short for that. The reason I call Jim, Jimbo is because I love to irritate him,” Megan said smiling. 

Sophie smiled, but Emily laughed out loud. “I like that, Megan.”

“Somehow I knew you would, Emily. It’s so great to finally meet all of you. Now who is this little one, here?” Megan asked. 

Sophie introduced Abby. “Abby, this is Megan Connor. She works with Jim and Blair. She’s very funny, too.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Megan. I like your hair, its pretty.” Abby smiled using her best smile and it melted Megan’s heart. Abby was definitely a charmer. 

“Thank you. You all have gorgeous hair. Will Jim and Blair be able to keep up with it?” Megan asked. 

“I’m sure they will do just fine, Megan,” Emily said. 

“You have that much faith in Jim and Blair?” Megan asked. 

“They took all three of us in when no one else would. We already love them for taking us. I know they will do their best with everything,” Sophie said. 

Megan couldn’t help but love these girls. They were all quite charming. “I’m sure they will do just fine also. Now, let’s swing and see who can go the highest.”

Simon got off the swing at that time and said, “This is exhausting work, Megan. Get ready for a workout that you haven’t had in years.”

“But, I could sure tell you were having fun, Simon. Now it’s my turn,” Megan replied. 

She got on the swings as Simon walked back over to Jim and Blair with Abby in tow. 

“What a workout,” Simon admitted. 

“We’re just not as young as we used to be, Simon,” Blair joked. 

As the four men talked with Abby sitting on Simon’s lap, Henri Brown and Brian Rafe arrived and walked over to the others. 

“Hey, I heard this is where a party was taking place. Is that true?” Brian asked. 

Abby jumped up and down and said, “It is. It is. You’re going to have a lot of fun on the swings. My name is Abby, what’s yours?”

“Hello, Abby, my name is Brian Rafe. I work with Jim and Blair and couldn’t wait to meet the three of you today.”

“I like that name. You’re very cute, too,” Abby added. 

Everyone laughed, and this made Abby smile even more. “Who is your friend, Brian?”

“His name is Henri Brown,” Brian said. 

“Henri is a good name too, not as nice as Brian, but still good,” Abby said as she got off Simon’s lap and went to sit with Jim. Jim smiled as she climbed on top of his lap and realized he had always wanted this. He couldn’t believe he was getting this chance. 

“Jim, do I have to swing right now? I’m tired, I think,” Abby whined. 

Jim kissed the top of Abby’s head and said, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Would you like to lie down for a little while?”

“Would you tuck me in my bed and stay in there while I sleep?” Abby wondered. 

“I will tuck you in, but I’m going to be in the house getting the food ready, so I’ll be close by. Don’t you worry.”

Abby jumped off Jim’s lap and pulled his hand to follow her into the house. Jim could tell how tired she was and knew a little nap would be exactly the thing she needed. 

“You all sit out here and keep each other company. I’ve got family business to take care of,” Jim said, proudly. 

“Hang on, I’m going with you,” Blair said as he ran for the patio door. 

“Blair would you like to take a nap with me?” Abby asked. 

“No, I’ve got to help Jim make the food. We’ll be in the house if you need us,” Blair assured her. 

“Okay,” Abby said as she wandered off into her room and crawled up onto her bed. She lay down and was out like a light.

!!!!!

“What do you think of Jim and Blair?” Henri asked Sophie.

“We really like them a lot. They are both so good to us and we really like living with them. You should see all the new clothes they bought us, and the shoes and school supplies. I think they might be rich,” Sophie said. 

“Sophie, that’s rude,” Emily said, quickly. 

“I didn’t mean to be rude,” Sophie said, tears welling up in her eyes. 

Simon hugged her, quickly. “They might not be rich, but everything they have they’ll share with you girls. You’re going to have a good life, you wait and see.”

Megan hugged Emily and said, “You don’t have to worry about upsetting Jim and Blair, Emily. They’re happy, everyone can tell.”

“I think so too,” Brian added. 

“As well they should be,” Henri said. 

“Do you know what Blair made today, Simon?” Sophie asked. 

“No, what?”

“He made deviled eggs. Isn’t that the funniest name for something we eat?” 

“I love deviled eggs,” Simon admitted. 

“I’m not sure if I like them or not. I can’t remember ever having them,” Sophie stated. 

Emily smiled at her little sister and said, “Mom used to make them for us on holidays, Sophie. You just can’t remember today.”

“I’m sorry I forgot, Emily. I’ll try and remember them better from now on,” Sophie said. 

Emily hugged her and said, “You’re doing just fine. Stop worrying about everything.”

!!!!!

Jim turned to Blair and said, “Everyone is getting along famously. Emily is starting to calm down a little bit, but Sophie is still afraid she’s going to say or do the wrong things.”

“They’re really nice girls, aren’t they?” Blair asked, smiling. 

“Duh.”

“I’m so glad we’re doing this. We needed this. And it’s a new start for us and for the girls. I think we’re going to be just fine,” Blair said. 

Jim leaned in for a quick kiss and said, “I couldn’t have said it better myself. I love you, Chief.”

“I love you, Jim.”

The patio door opened and in walked Jim and Blair’s girls, laughing happily at Henri and Brian and going into the living room.

Simon smiled and said, “You’ve done good work here, gentlemen.”

“Thank you, Simon. Now are you looking for something to do?” Jim asked. 

Joel laughed and said, “We’re all in here to help. Give us our jobs.”

Everyone worked side by side building a wonderful dinner and memory for three very lucky girls and two very lucky men. 

The end


End file.
